The Pureblood Knight
by Commander Tetra93
Summary: It seemed rather odd to me that an Empire restricted species could become a Republic character through the Legacy System without any real explanation. This is my attempt a doing that through the Jedi Knight Storyline.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own Star Wars**

(The Jedi Temple,Coruscant 3663 BBY)

Jedi Grandmaster Zym was in his quarters in the Jedi Temple when his holo communicator went off. He activated it and the image of a Sith Pureblood appeared. Before Zym could say a word, the Sith began to talk. "Greetings Jedi." His tone was cold; but Zym could trace a hint of worry in his voice as well. "We cannot speak long. I am Lord Aeres, the apprentice of Dark Council member Darth Vowrawn. This is not a social call; I have a proposition for you."

"What could you possibly offer me Sith? I will not surrender to you, nor will I let the Republic fall to the Empire. Besides, what could be so important that you would contact me?" the Kel-Dor asked.

"This matter concerns my son. As you know, the Sith aren't known for loyalty and honor. That time for my people has come and gone. Other Sith will target my family in order to harm me. I intend to put him in the last place a Sith would look, and that is with the Jedi. I wish for the Jedi to take him for training. I don't enjoy the idea of giving him to you, but he will be safer away from his mother and myself."

"Why should I have a Sith trained to be a Jedi? He was born a Sith?" The Jedi asked with suspicion.

"Because, if you don't he will either be killed or become like all of the other Sith in the Galaxy. Royssim is but a year old. You cannot judge him as if he is a fully grown and trained Dark Lord." the Sith snapped at the Jedi Master. "My wife and I will be at the spaceport on Nar Shaddaa in one week should you decide to take him." The Sith cut the connection.

The Kel-Dor began to think. _'Could the Sith be telling the truth? It could be a trap; the Sith are known for being deceptive. On the other hand; if he is telling the truth, we must help the child. There is only one way to find out.'_

Grandmaster Zym walked over to three Jedi Knights. "Bela, Jaric, Satele; we are leaving for Nar Saddaa tomorrow."

"Why are we going there Master? It seems a bit of a strange place to just decide to go to out of the blue?" Jaric Kaedan asked.

"I just received a call asking for their child to be given Jedi training. As you know Jedi don't go on missions like these alone; especially on the Smugglers' Moon."

"Yes, but normally only two Jedi go. Why are four of us going?" Satele asked him.

"I know, however this is an unusual case. If there are no more questions, I believe we should prepare for the trip." the Kel-Dor told them.

The Jedi exit the ship in the Nar Shaddaa Spaceport. They left the hangar and were approached by two Sith and a droid carrying an infant. Upon seeing them, Jaric reached for his lightsaber. There was a snap hiss of a lightsaber activating. "I would advise against that course of action _Jedi_. You will **not** harm my child, especially while in my presence." the Sith woman growled, causing purple sparks of electricity to crackle at her fingertips.

"Calm down, Violess. A fight is the last thing we need right now." Aeres told his wife.

"Don't tell me to calm down! That brute over there just threatened **our** son. That cannot go unpunished."

"Master, you never said that we were meeting Sith." Bela Kiwiks told him in surprise.

"You never asked who we were meeting. Besides, I told you that this was an unusual case." he told her. "I assume that this is Royssim?" Zym asked while looking at the baby in the droid's arms.

"Yes." Lord Aeres told him "Go ahead and take him before I change my mind. Know this; if he is not treated fairly. If he is harmed; I will know, and I am not a forgiving man." With those words of warning the two purebloods and droid turned to leave.

The woman paused and turned back to the Jedi, her fiery orange eyes began to glow. They paled as they saw the Jedi Temple in ruin. "I just wanted you to know the consequences of betraying my husband's trust and harming my child in any way." she said with a sneer before leaving to catch up with Lord Aeres and the droid.

"This is a mistake Master. We shouldn't be allowing Sith to become Jedi. This monster should be put down before it destroys our entire order." Knight Kaedan told Grandmaster Zym hatefully.

"Those are very dark thoughts Jaric. You speak of a baby as if he is a full grown Dark Lord." Zym scolded. "You would have me murder Royssim for the actions of others?"

"No Master. I'm suggesting that we neutralize a threat to the Republic and Jedi Order."

"Who is he a threat to Jaric? He's only a baby." Satele Shan asks with a glare.

"It doesn't look like he can even walk yet; and you want to kill him?" Bela Kiwiks asks half in surprise, half in anger.

Jaric looks at them. "This is a mistake, but it seems that I have no choice in the matter. I suppose we can let him prove that he can walk the light path, but I'm fairly certain he will fail. I'd wager that we will be facing a new Exar Kun once his curiosity about his species is piqued."

"And what of the vision of the Jedi Temple being destroyed?" Zym asked.

Jaric scoffed. "I doubt even the Sith would attack the Republic Capital because of a secret child's treatment."

"These are two high ranking Sith, and purebloods at that; all they would have to do is give a location and time. After that, we'd be overwhelmed. And that's only if they don't need a reason. If they do, they'll simply make one up and we'd be facing not only hundreds to thousands of the Empire's most elite troops, but tens to hundreds of Sith as well. The Temple and Order would be all but destroyed in a matter of hours. She showed us that she knows exactly where the Temple is, so that makes her threat even more legitimate." Zym argued. "I will not have blind faith in Republic and Jedi security, as long as the Sith could attack and destroy us so readily."

After arriving back to Coruscant, Jedi Grandmaster Zym called for a meeting of the Jedi Council. "We cannot judge Royssim by the actions of others of his species. If we do, he will surely fall to the dark side. If he is to walk the light path, we must raise him with a gentle hand for the early years of his life. That way he will have a sense of belonging within the Order."

"So you're saying we should treat him differently than we do other Apprentices and Padawans, Zym?" one Council member asked.

"Not exactly. I'm not telling you to coddle him; I am merely suggesting that we make sure that he feels that he belongs with the Jedi." Zym explained.

"Why is this Sith child even here?" another Jedi asked.

"His father contacted me a little over a week ago and told me that he believed Royssim would be safer with the Jedi than with the Sith. Apparently his father is the apprentice of a Dark Council member named Vowrawn. If there are any more questions, please ask them in private."

Zym knocked on the door to Satele Shan's quarters. "Satele, I have an important matter to speak to you of. May I come in?"

"Of course, Master." Satele waved her hand to open the door. Zym entered to find the Jedi on her knees meditating. "What do you need to speak to me about?"

"This concerns Royssim. I know that Jedi do not typically have families, but I believe that he will need a parental figure during the early years of childhood. I fear that he will have a more difficult time finding acceptance than others. I could feel hesitance in the other Council members regarding him being here, so I don't think he will be able to truly confide in anyone but myself, Bela, or you. Being the Grandmaster means that I may be too busy to be as readily available for him. If you wish I could go ask Bela Kiwiks to care for him, but you are my first choice." Zym explained.

"I don't know Master. What am I supposed to do with him?"

"I am no fool, Satele. I know of your son that is currently in the care of Master Zho. I suggest that you take young Theron from Master Zho, and raise them together. I want for Royssim to have people that are close to him throughout the time that others hold him at a distance because of his species. He will make new friends eventually, but I don't see many trusting him in the immediate future. I also don't want for Theron to feel resentment towards you for leaving him with your Master. I doubt he truly understands why you did it."

"But Theron isn't Force sensitive. Theron will resent Royssim for that. And what about the rules against attachments?" Satele asked confused.

"He won't if you treat them equally. Theron may be jealous of Roysimm's Force sensitivity at first, but I believe that if you don't ignore Theron; the two of them would get along. Sometimes, having those we care about can be an anchor when we are in despair, or a flicker of light when times are darkest. Just avoid letting your care for them cloud your judgment and you'll be fine. Remember, I am only doing this so that Royssim has a sense of belonging, we must help him avoid falling to the dark side." the Kel-Dor told her. "I believe that at times we misinterpret our own rules and beliefs. If we do not feel compassion when one is in need or remorse when we are forced to kill, does that make you better than a Sith, Satele?"

She thought of the Grandmaster's question for a second, "No. That makes us just as evil. "

"That is correct. To completely ignore those emotions would cause you to fall to the dark side just as surely as lashing out in anger or hate. You cannot let those feelings consume you, however. In four years Royssim will leave for Dantooine to begin his official training. You may help train him until he is a Padawan, if you believe it to be necessary; but while training him he is to be treated like any other Apprentice training to become a Padawan. I will not, however permit you to oversee his final trials. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master." Satele answered.

"I will speak to the rest of the Council, to inform them of my choice to put Royssim in your care in the morning. Some may object at first, but I believe that they would see my reasoning in time." The Kel-Dor then left Satele's quarters. _'I hope Satele can remain objective with this, it's unlikely though. She is young and will be spending a great deal of time with not only her own child, but Royssim as well; it would be difficult for her not to become attached to them.'_ the Grandmaster thought to himself. _'I wonder if we have it all wrong; what if Satele's ancestors, Revan and Bastila Shan were right about emotions and attachments not being as dangerous as we thought? I will keep a watchful eye on Satele and the children; this experiment could give valuable insight into our philosophy. I hope this isn't a mistake.'_

 **A/N 2: I know that I made Master Kaedan seem a lot like Master Vrook, or maybe even as bad as Atris. But Master Kaedan was a jerk to Kira when he found out about her past. What's to stop him from trying to kill a baby Sith Pureblood?**


	2. Chapter 2

(Three years later. Jedi Temple, Coruscant, 3660 BBY)

Four year old Royssim ran through the halls of the Jedi Temple, bursting into Satele Shan's meditation chamber. "I did it! I did it!" he shouted excitedly.

"Royssim, you need to knock before entering someone's meditation chamber." Satele scolded.

"I'm sorry. I was just so excited and had to tell you." Royssim said bowing his head.

"It's fine. Just, knock next time. Now, what did you do?"

"I blocked all the shots from the training probe thing." Royssim said, puffing his chest out proudly.

"Are you still going on about that? You blocked stun bolts from a training droid." six year old Theron Shan said entering the room.

Royssim stuck his tongue out at his friend and pseudo older brother. "Well, I still blocked every shot."

"And who was supervising you?" Satele asked.

"Um, well; Theron was there and-"

"There you two are!" an angry voice called. Royssim scurried behind Satele as Jaric Kaedan stormed into the meditation chamber. "I caught those two in the training room. That one," pointing at Theron; "was controlling the training probe. And the other troublemaker," pointing Royssim, who was hiding behind Satele's leg; "was wielding a practice saber without permission or supervision. Luckily no one got hurt. That's right you two, I saw the whole thing." Knight Kaedan turned his scornful gaze to Royssim's widening orange eyes. "Little Royssim hasn't even started his training yet, and he already shows no regard for the rules. At this rate you'll never become a Jedi."

"Jaric, that's enough." Satele interjected. "Your behavior right now is hardly befitting of a Jedi. I will punish them appropriately and you will not interfere or add on to their punishment. Now, I suggest that you leave after you so rudely barged into my meditation chamber."

"Fine. Defend the Sith if you want to, but every day that he spends within our order, the bigger threat he becomes."

"Um, Mother? What did he mean when he called me a Sith?" Royssim asked Knight Satele.

 _'Blast it, Jaric. I'll never forgive you for this. I wanted to wait as long as possible before I had to tell him about his parents.'_ "Look, Royssim. I wanted to wait until you were older before telling you about who your parents are, but Knight Kaedan's hatred to anything that has to do with the Sith has forced my hand. First, I'll tell you about how the Jedi first encountered the Sith. After the Hundred Year Darkness; a Jedi Master named Adjunta Pall and eleven other fallen Jedi were driven into exile. During that time everyone thought that the Exiles had died, when in fact they had encountered a species of Force users on the planet Korriban. The species that they encountered were called "Sith". They are now known as "Sith Purebloods""

"While on Korriban, Adjunta Pall and the eleven other Exiles became known as "Dark Lords" of the Sith in the eyes of the Sith species. That was the first encounter, but not with the Republic and Jedi; that happened over a thousand years later in the Great Hyperspace Wars. Most of the Sith species was wiped out, but some survived. If they hadn't; you wouldn't be here." Satele told the four year old who was beginning to panic.

"Bu- but I don't want to be a Sith! I want to be a Jedi like you. If I try reeeeeaaaly hard can I turn into a Jedi Pureblood instead?" Royssim asked innocently.

"I'm sorry, but it doesn't work that way." she tried to explain.

"Why not? There has to be some way for me to not be a Sith anymore." The fiery eyes that normally were filled with happiness and innocence, now showed only fear and confusion.

"Royssim," Satele said while kneeling down to the boy's eye level. "Your parents gave you to us so that you wouldn't become a Sith. You can still be a Jedi, despite your race and no matter how many times people say otherwise; you can and will become a great Jedi."

"But what will I do on Dantooine next year? Everyone will be mean to me again won't they?"

"They better not," the older boy cut in. "Only I get to pick on you. And we're going with you to keep it that way. Right?" Theron asked looking to his mother.

"Yes, but only for a year or two. Royssim, while I am there; I'm there as one of your teachers not your mother. I will be much stricter and you won't have much free time. After we leave, Theron may only come to visit on Life Day. If I have the time, I will come as well; but you may not see me every year." Her tone was firm, but the softness in her eyes told both Theron and Royssim that she wished she could spend more time with them.

"But, I don't want you to leave." Royssim whined.

"I know that, but Jedi are not allowed to have attachments. And the Jedi and Republic are still fighting the Sith; I have to return to doing my duty as a Jedi. I have already spent three years almost completely ignoring them, and I can't do that for much longer." Satele explained.

"Can't Theron train with me and become a Jedi too? You're a Jedi and I'm gonna be a Jedi; shouldn't he be one too?"

"Sorry, but I'm not Force sensitive like you and Mom." Tharon said. "But don't worry I'll stick with you until she has to drag me out kicking and screaming."

"When you go to Dantooine, things will be hard at first, but you'll make friends eventually; you're likeable." Satele told him

 **A/N: I had decided to have the majority of the trust issues be during the initial training and maybe a little while on Tython.**


	3. Chapter 3

A few more years had passed and it soon became clear that Royssim had a natural talent for swordsmanship. His talent didn't win any favors from his fellow apprentices though. Despite his best efforts, they wanted to spend as little time around him as possible. The Masters also had their reservations about Royssim's training at first, but even though they could feel the hurt that he felt because of his treatment; there was no anger.

In the practice ring; a group of apprentices and a Jedi Master were about to begin the day's dueling lesson. "But Master, I don't want to spar with Royssim. Don't you know what he is? He'll kill me." One of the Apprentices complained.

"Yes, Apprentice. I know what Royssim is; I also know **who** he is. He has never caused anyone permanent harm. His dueling ability has nothing to do with his species. Now enter the ring and assume the first lightsaber form."

"Yes Master," the apprentices said as they entered the ring.

As soon as they had entered the proper stance, the Jedi Master told them to begin. The human apprentice immediately began attacking franticly, hoping that one of his clumsy strikes would hit Royssim while he easily blocked and dodged them. "Why can't I hit you?" the human asked frustrated.

"Your footwork looks fine, but you aren't looking for holes in my defenses; also you are holding your saber a little too far out. That will make it more difficult to block any of my strikes." Royssim explained calmly.

"Shut up, you're not my Master."

"I'm only giving you advice. Could you at least try it?" Royssim asked.

"Fine." the other apprentice stopped swinging is practice saber at Royssim. He then brought it a little closer to himself and entered a more defensive stance. The human began to watch Royssim's every move until he noticed that one of his sides was unguarded. The human launched himself at the Sith Pureblood while swinging his practice saber horizontally.

Royssim managed to block the attack, but was staggered. Sensing another attack he ducked and brought up his practice saber to avoid the swing aimed at his head. "See, I told you that you could do it."

"I still didn't hit you though," the other boy replied.

"No, but you staggered me and almost hit me in the head. I'd call that an improvement. Let's try it again, but this time I'll fight back."

"Royssim, I appreciate your willingness to help; but you should leave the training of others to fully trained Jedi;" the Master interrupted.

"But Master, I was only telling him to do what Master Satele taught me," the stern look that the Jedi Master gave Royssim told him that there was no room for argument. "Yes Master."

The two got back into their stances; both stood still, waiting for the other to attack. Tired of waiting; the human charged at Royssim who instead of blocking, rolled to the side and slashed at the other boy's leg which made him lose his balance and fall on his face. Royssim walked over to his opponent and reached his hand out to help him up. "Are you okay?" Royssim asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright. How'd you learn to fight like that?" he asked. "It seemed like you were always one step ahead of me."

"I spend a lot of time with the dueling droids and training probes. If you haven't noticed, I don't have a lot of friends. When I'm in the training room; I don't have to worry about getting tripped or called names, it's where I feel safest," Royssim replied.

"But can you blame us?" the human asked. "I mean, you were born a Sith; it's not exactly common for someone like you to be here. I'll be honest, I don't trust you and don't really think you should be here. You look like a Sith but act like a Jedi; it doesn't add up."

(The Citadel, Kaas City, Dromund Kaas)

Darths Aeres and Violess were in their apartment on the Citadel. "I told you he wouldn't fit in with _them_ , Aeres. It has been nine years since we gave Royssim to those Jedi; and yet they still do not trust him." Violess began to pace back and forth in the living room. "There is to be a false Peace Summit on Alderaan next year. During that time, I will have Darth Malgus and Lord Angral gather as many forces as they can to launch a joint attack on Coruscant and destroy the Jedi's precious temple. Many will think that it was a simple attack to weaken and demoralize the Republic, but the four that took Royssim will know that their treatment of our son had not gone unnoticed."

"And if this backfires and causes simple mistrust to turn into full-fledged hostility?" Aeres retorted. "Believe me, I have been tempted to storm that temple of theirs and kill everyone there just to get him back several times; but I know it would accomplish little."

"I don't care, Aeres! I am going to destroy the Jedi Temple. Our youngest son has been with our enemy for nearly a decade and been taught to fear his own family!" The woman sent lightning at the lamp next to Aeres' head. "After both Zorwol and Royssim finish their respective final trials; what do you think the outcome of them meeting each other again would be?" Aeres opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by another jolt of lightning being shot at his feet. "Don't. Answer," Violess warned. "Because we both know that our children would end up trying to kill each other. I don't think Zorwol even remembers having a brother," she whispered; tears of anger and sorrow swelling in her eyes.

"And if they both became Sith and became the apprentices of rival Darths or Lords, they'd have to fight each other anyway. We knew the risks and consequences of having two children but we did it anyway." Aeres wrapped an arm around Violess and sat down. "Remember, Royssim is alive and safe from our enemies; that's all that matters."

"You do know that I'm still going to launch an attack on Coruscant, right?" the woman asked.

"Yes, I know you will, you're still as stubborn as the day we met. Just make sure that the attack can't be linked back to us."

"Fine. I will forward the Temple schematics to Darth Malgus and tell him when to strike. I'll let the Galaxy assume that he orchestrated the attack."


	4. Chapter 4

(Eleven years later Tython, 3643 BBY)

The transport shuttle landed on the outpost's landing pad just above the Tythonian Gnarls. The loading ramp extended allowing Royssim to exit the shuttle, admiring the scenery as he descended. A Jedi Knight was there to greet him. "Hello Padawan. Welcome to Tython; I'm Jedi Knight Weller." The two began to walk to the outpost. "Your former Masters praised your combat skills and even called you an expert duelist."

"I had good teachers and did a lot of practicing," Royssim replied.

After entering the outpost, the human walked over to a locker and pulled out a training saber. Knight Weller gave the weapon to Royssim. "The Jedi Council will assign you a new Master to oversee your final trials, and when you leave Tython; you'll know what it means to be a Jedi Knight. More importantly, you'll have a better understanding of who you really are."

Before Royssim could say anything, a distress call came in. A hologram of a Byth trying to avoid blaster fire appeared. _*Help! We're being attacked by Flesh Raiders! They're armed with blasters and vibroswords! Someone, help us!*_

"Flesh Raiders- armed with blasters? No, that has to be a mistake."

"It doesn't matter if it's a mistake. That Padawan is still in danger. I'm going down there to help the people that are down there."

"That's a good idea," Knight Weller answered. "I'll meet you down there later, as you've noticed; we don't have very many guards in this area. A small group would attack every now and then, but the natives ignored us for the most part until now. May the force be with you."

Royssim took a speeder down to the training grounds. Looking down; he thought to himself, _'Man, those things are ugly. That Padawan was right about the flesh raiders having blasters, and they really know how to use therm. They're an army, not just a few savages. This has to have been planned by someone, but who? Could the Sith have found Tython this quickly?'_

Deciding not to spend too much time thinking about the issue; he got out of the speeder and entered the training grounds. _'I could use some backup, Arvotes should be here by now.'_ Royssim reached into his pocket and pulled out his holo-communicator; after entering the frequency the human Consular's hologram came up.

"Royssim, that you?" asked the human.

"Yeah, I just got here a few minutes ago. Have you seen what's been going on here in the training grounds?"

"Yes, I have. In fact, I just delivered a distress beacon to some Padawans that got ambushed by one of the flesh raiders. I'm on my way back to the outpost. There are people down here that don't have any combat training, they could use your help," Arvotes answered.

"That's what I'm here for. I called to ask you for a little backup for dealing with this army. Be careful on your way back, I saw a group of those creatures eating a Jedi Knight and some Padawans' corpses on my ride down here," Royssim replied.

"Sure, I could do that; but I have to deliver The Founders' teaching holograms to my master. You know what's weird? One of them was stolen… Gotta go, it looks like I've been spotted. I'll see you when I get back to the outpost." Arvotes cut the connection.

Royssim went to the medical droid to purchase medpacs for the upcoming fight with the flesh raiders; while he waited for Arvotes to return. _'I guess I should head out now, Arvotes would be able to see me better if I'm out in the open and already fighting,'_ Royssim thought; walking down the steps into the field.

Royssim was fighting two flesh raiders, when some large rocks fell onto one of them. After the dust cleared, Arvotes began to speak. "You seem a bit eager to start fighting these things."

"I wasn't eager to fight, I wanted to be easier to spot. I also didn't see the point in just standing by the medical droid until you got here," Royssim argued.

"Fair enough. Things look a lot worse than when I got here. What do you think happened?"

"Someone must have spent months planning this. Maybe a rogue Jedi, or worse, the Sith may have found Tython and are trying to wipe us out without the Republic knowing about it."

"That's a disturbing thought," Arvotes told Royssim. "But I think we should clear out this area before you tell the Jedi Council anything."

After fighting off numerous flesh raiders and freeing any caged Padawans they saw, Royssim noticed a cave with flesh raiders running out. "This must be how they've been getting to the training grounds without anyone noticing them. Thanks for the help, but I think that I can handle the rest of this on my own. Besides you have your own trials to take care of. If you ever need any help, don't hesitate to call," Royssim told Arvotes as he headed for the cave.

Royssim killed the few flesh raiders that were still in the cave and approached the Byth Padawan. "Are you alright?" Royssim asked.

 _*I've got some blaster wounds, but should be fine if you have a medpac. A Jedi's been arming the flesh raiders and having them attack us.*_

"Not attacking. Cleansing," said a human as he walked into view.

 _*But why?*_

"Because the Order must evolve, and you are weak."

"Step away from that Padawan. Now. I won't let you continue to attack innocent people," warned Royssim.

"Ah, so you're the one that's been killing my soldiers."

"I'm only going to say this once. Surrender, and you will be judged fairly by the Jedi Council."

The human ignited his lightsaber. "No! I will not submit to those not fit to lead!"

Royssim took his practice saber off of his back and blocked the human's attack to his neck. The human tried to attack again but was pushed against the cave's wall, Royssim charged at the man with a feint to his torso. While the human was distracted, Royssim kicked his legs out from under him and pressed his boot on the fallen Jedi's neck. Before he could react; Royssim drove his practice saber through his opponent's chest.

Royssim walked over to the Byth, handing him a medpac. "You asked for this before I had to fight whoever that was? Take this one, but I think you should get to a kolto tank as soon as possible."

A Jedi with grey hair ran up to the two Padawans. "Are you two alright?" he asks looking between them and the corpse on the ground.

"I'm fine," Royssim tells the man; "but my fellow here has taken some blaster fire."

 _*It was him, Master Orgus,*_ the Byth pointed at the dead human. _*He was ordering the flesh raiders to attack the training grounds.*_ The Byth turned to Royssim; _*I don't know his name, but he came in and killed the Jedi that was commanding them.*_

Master Orgus took a closer look at the human. "I've never seen this man before; he's no Jedi." He picked up the lightsaber from the ground, "Hmm, this lightsaber looks familiar."

"Master Orgus, I'm sure you can find out more about this after the tunnel is sealed; and this Padawan is put in a kolto tank," Royssim said; interrupting the Jedi's thoughts.

"You're right, I'll seal the tunnel and take the Padawan back to the temple. You should head there yourself, go back to the outpost and down the mountain pass. I'll see you there."

Royssim was walking up the stairs to enter the Jedi Temple, when his holo communicator went off. When he answered it, a hologram of Grandmaster Satele Shan appeared. "Royssim, could you come to my meditation chamber in the temple for a moment?"

"Um, sure. Is something wrong?" Royssim asked.

"No, nothing's wrong; this is an informal meeting. My duties here have kept me from going to visit you for the past few years, and I wanted a chance to talk before you head to the Council chamber," Satele replied calmly.

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes," Royssim ended the call.

Royssim entered Grandmaster Satele's meditation chamber. When he approached Satele, she stood up and gave him a hug. "I missed you," she said.

"I missed you too, Master Satele."

"Please, we are alone; and I said this is an informal meeting," Master Satele replied shaking her head.

"Okay Mother, I just didn't know what to call you here." When Royssim pulled away from the embrace, Master Satele noticed a scar on his cheek.

She cupped his face and turned his head to get a better look. "How did you get this?"

Royssim scratched the back of his head, "Well, I was sent out to the courtyard to relocate a kath hound pup. When I picked him up, he started squirming. When he managed to get loose, he jumped at my face and scratched me. Before he could bite me, I used the force to calm him and take him to the grove where the rest of the kath hounds live."

"That's good, I'm glad you're safe," Master Satele told Royssim. "Now, on to the other matter I wanted to talk to you about. Master Orgus told me that you fought a force user armed with a lightsaber on your own; what were you thinking? He could have killed you." Satele scolded.

"I didn't know what was in there and would have asked Arvotes to come into that cave with me, if he didn't have the Founders' teaching holograms with him. I thought the holograms were too important to risk, so I went in alone."

"A Padawan's life is more important than any of those holograms, Royssim. Even yours. I am proud of your heroism though. Now, I don't think we should keep the rest of the Council waiting," Master Satele told Royssim.


	5. Chapter 5

When Master Satele and Royssim were done catching up, she told him to get something to eat and then head up the ramp to the Coucil chamber.

Royssim entered the Council chamber to find the Jedi Council discussing the events in the Gnarls. Bela Kiwiks's voice was the first one he heard; "I've been searching the Temple Archives and never saw the man you described Orgus. This force user never received Jedi training."

"Then the Sith have found us and broken the Treaty of Coruscant. We have to get ready for them," said the red haired woman standing next to her.

"Calm down, Padawan. We don't have all the facts yet," Master Orgus told her.

"But we've been sensing a growing darkness for months, Orgus," Master Kiwiks argued.

Royssim decided to make his presence known, "That _growing darkness_ tried to kill me today. Sith or not, we're under attack. We need to harden our defenses and have all non-combat trained Padawans escorted back to the Temple so they can be trained to defend themselves."

"See, he's worried too," the red head agreed.

"You _would_ like to see us turned into warriors, wouldn't you Royssim?" Master Kaedan sneered. "I knew you would fall. Your desire for revenge is all the proof I need."

"I'm not seeking revenge. I'm concerned for the safety of others. You haven't seen what's happening in the Gnarls, Master Kaedan," Royssim argued. "People are being slaughtered like animals and then eaten by those creatures. You can't let all of the untrained Padawans remain defenseless. Someone has turned the flesh raiders into a cannibalistic army, and specifically targeted the Jedi."

"It's alright, Royssim, We're all just a little high strung with what's going on," said Master Satele as she entered the Council Chamber. "You've met Masters Orgus Din and Jaric Kaedan. I don't know if you remember her, but this is Jedi Master Bela Kiwiks and her Padawan Kira Carsen. Master Syo Bakarn is still in the Gnarls at the moment, and like Master Kaedan, Master Tol Braga is also broadcasting from a distant world." After finishing the introductions, Grandmaster Satele took her seat. "With our numbers spread so thin, it will be difficult to defend the Temple."

"It's unfortunate that we are so scattered at a time like this," said Master Kiwiks.

"Agreed. As far as we know, the flesh raiders were mindless primitives until today," Master Satele replied.

"I think that's what their leader wanted us to think; Master Satele," Royssim told her. "It's not possible for such a large force to become an organized army overnight."

"I agree with my new Padawan, and I doubt the man that he killed was working alone," Master Orgus said in agreement.

"Are you sure you want to train _him_ , Orgus?" asked Master Kaedan.

"Jaric, if you cannot control your emotions during this meeting; I believe you should cut your connection," interrupted Master Kiwiks. "But I'm surprised you're taking a Padawan now, Orgus; you haven't taken one since Coruscant."

"Surely, you sense how strong Royssim is in the force; Bela. And something tells me that I'm meant to teach him."

"I'm honored that you've chosen to train me, Master; but my trials can wait until we've finished dealing with the flesh raiders," said Royssim.

"You should follow his example, Kira," Master Kiwiks instructed quietly.

"Royssim, I want you to go downstairs to my meditation chamber and get some supplies. I'll meet you there," Master Orgus told Royssim. Royssim bowed and left the room.

After the meeting ended, Kira turned to her master. "How did he join the Jedi?" she asked.

"The former Grandmaster may have been the only one that knew the full story of how Royssim joined us. However, Master Zym could have told Master Satele the whole story when he had her look after him," Master Kiwiks explained. "Or at least before he died. All I know is that Royssim's father asked Master Zym to let him join the Order. But I don't know why. I was there when Royssim was given to Master Zym, as well as Masters Kaedan and Satele. He was only a little over a year old when we took him."

"Do you know the full story, Master Satele?"

"I wasn't told everything, but what I gathered from what Master Zym did tell me, there are different Sith philosophies; and Darth Aeres didn't want Royssim following the one that is followed by the Dark Council. I just wish Jaric would stop insinuating that he is a Sith spy."

Down in Master Orgus's meditation chamber; Royssim was going through a set of combat stims, when Master Orgus walked in. "Blast those damn Council meetings. I'll die of old age before my colleagues ran out of things to say. If they keep this up, we'll never get anything done."

"I'm sure they're just a little rattled by this attack, but I think that right now isn't the time to sit back and talk all day," Royssim told his master.

"You're probably right. I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and I wouldn't blame you. Right now might be your only chance to ask them though. So far; you've been dealing with dangers that many Padawans never do. So go ahead and ask, I'll answer everything I can," Master Orgus told Royssim.

"You said that the man I fought wasn't working alone. I think you have an idea about who he was working with."

"Your instincts are sharp, I'll give you that. But I'm not completely sure yet, I hope it isn't who I think it is. We can't do this alone. There's a Twi'lek settlement not too far from here. They've been fighting the flesh raiders for months, the Republic asked us to deny them aid for settling illegally. So they're not exactly our biggest fans, but we need their help."

"The Republic shouldn't be telling us not to help people, Master."

Master Orgus chuckled. "I forgot how impressionable Padawans can be at times," Orgus said, amused. "Remember Royssim, the Jedi's purpose is to serve the Republic. Even when we disagree."

"Even though I believe that our main purpose is to protect others, and serving the Republic is secondary; it isn't my place to tell you that you're wrong."

"You aren't the only one of us to have ever felt that way, I would've said the same thing when I was your age," Master Orgus told Royssim. "Now, you need to go and speak to Kalikori Village's matriarch."


	6. Chapter 6

Royssim entered Kalikori Village and was greeted by one of the Twi'leks. "How many times do we have to tell you Jedi that you aren't welcome here?" asked the guard.

"Look, just landed on this planet today. And I believe that the Republic was wrong to tell the Jedi not to protect you, but I need to talk to your Matriarch about driving back the flesh raiders."

"Fine, she's in her compound with Scout Chief Moorint and her daughter, Ranna. Show them respect," the guard instructed. When Royssim passed him, the guard started muttering to himself. "First he human, and now, whatever he is. Why are they bothering us now?"

"Greetings Matriarch. Master Orgus Din has sent me to help you drive back the flesh raiders," Royssim told the village's Matriarch.

"So, the Jedi have finally decided to acknowledge my people's suffering. How noble of them," she told Royssim sarcastically. "I'm sure this has _nothing_ to do with the recent attacks on your training grounds."

"I won't lie to you. It does, and I know that my words will carry little weight, but I am sorry that the Council obeyed the Senate's request to deny you aid. I will do whatever I can to make things right."

"I'll hold you to that," she told him. "My scouts have been tracking the flesh raiders for months. Watching them grow in strength and numbers. I'll share what we've learned, but only if you protect my people," the Matriarch grew pale, and seemed weak on her feet. "W-we suffer."

"Is your mother sick? Does she need a doctor?" Royssim asked, concerned.

"Thank you, but we have our own healers," she told him, curtly.

"I meant no offense. I meant what I said, when I told your mother that I will help the village however I can."

"I- I'll let you and Moorint handle this Ranna. I need to lie down," The Matriarch said weakly.

After the Matriarch left, the scout chief turned to Royssim. "Look, I don't really care why you've come. All I care about is that you make those bastards pay. Ever since they got their new weapons and gear, we've been hunted like animals."

"I take it, you have a plan?" Royssim asked.

"Yes. There's a flesh raider camp in the valley nearby next to a cave with a crate full of weapons. If we sabotage them, it would thin their numbers, eliminate their technological advantage, and instill fear in them," he told Royssim and Ranna.

"How would we do that, Moorint?" Ranna asked.

"All the weapons are standard Republic design. All you'd have to do is override the power circuits and plasma coils, and they'll blow up in their big ugly faces."

"I don't know, Moorint. Doing that might just make them angry. Perhaps I could take those weapons and bring them here. That way your village will be better defended," Royssim countered.

"Until you get to that cave, this debate is pointless Jedi," the scout chief told Royssim irritably.

Royssim crouched on a cliff over the flesh raider camp, observing the activity going on. _'Hm. There are only fifteen flesh raiders and seven manka cats here, but the cramped space limits mobility. Perhaps I can use that to my advantage. The manka cats could prove to be trouble. But if I can make them attack the flesh raiders, I wouldn't have to fight the whole group.'_ Royssim jumped off the cliff, and rolled to his feet. When he came eye to eye with the manka cats, he waved his hand and told them, " _These flesh raiders want to hurt you. Help me stop them_." They growled and pounced on their masters. While the manka cats distracted one side of the camp, Royssim ran to the other. _I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I hope some of them charge at me. Making a couple living shields might just save my life.'_

After the fight, Royssim dusted off his robes and was about to leave for the cave; when he heard whimpering nearby. When he headed to the source, he saw that one of the manka cats had survived but had several blaster burns. "Be still, I'm going to put some kolto patches on your wounds," Royssim said calmly. When he was done treating the beast's wounds, Royssim went in to one of the flesh raider's tents, and found some raw uxibeast meat to give to the wounded manka cat.

On his way to the cave; Royssim felt that he was being followed. He didn't reach for his weapon, because he could sense no hostility. When he turned around, Royssim saw that the surviving manka cat had followed him away from the camp. "You need to head on back to your camp," Roysim told her, before turning back to enter the cave. Instead of following his instruction, she continued walking behind him. "Alright, you win. Come along, if you really want to."

Royssim and the manka cat made their way through the cave, until they came across an armored flesh raider guarding the cave's weapon storehouse. He used the force to launch himself high in to the air, so that he could land with an overhead strike. The manka cat charged at the flesh raider as well, reducing his reaction time significantly; due to having to either guard against one enemy coming from the air and another from the ground. Ultimately the flesh raider decided to block the manka cat's approach, allowing Royssim to cleave him in half as he landed.

Royssim was loading up as many weapons as he could carry back to the village, when an astromech droid made its way to him. [T7 = relieved to see Jedi / T7 = captured by flesh raiders + needs rescuing] the droid said through a series of beeps and whistles.

"I guess you can consider yourself rescued, Teeseven," Royssim told the droid.

[Jedi = T7's hero / T7 = Jedi reconnaissance droid / Mission parameters = scout for hazards in wilderness]

"Who do you need to report to, Teeseven?" Royssim asked.

[T7 = report back to Jedi Master Orgus Din / T7 = cannot leave / T7 = needs restraining bolt placed by flesh raiders removed]

Royssim knelt down to remove the restraining bolt from the droid. "I never saw the need for restraining bolts on astromechs, protocol, and medical droids. There you go, we're headed to Kalikori Village. Do you know the way?"

[T7 = has map of Jedi Temple + surrounding settlements / Kalikori Village = south east of Jedi Temple / Current location = south east of Kalikori Village] Royssim, T7-01, and the manka cat left the cave to deliver the weapons to the Twi'leks.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I'm sorry about the long wait.**

After the three of them entered the Matriarch's compound, Royssim saw one of the settlers arguing with Rana and Master Orgus. "Don't you dare preach about being calm to me, Jedi! My wife is dead," the Twi'lek yelled.

"Will yelling at me return your loved one to life?" Master Orgus asked calmly.

"Your wife wouldn't want you to die chasing revenge," Rana told him, trying to soothe him.

When he noticed Royssim enter the compound, the Twi'lek shot him a glare. "You! Where were you when this happened?"

The manka cat crouched, preparing to pounce at the man; but Royssim motioned for her not to move. "I was at the flesh raider camp, getting weapons to defend your village with."

"Good, one of you understands," he said approvingly. "Give me those weapons, I'm going to make them pay."

"No you won't," Royssim told him. "In your state of anger, you'd get yourself killed. Fighting with a clouded mind causes you to make reckless mistakes. Take some time to mourn, you have others that care about you; think about how they'd feel if you were killed today too."

"You- you're right," the Twi'lek told Royssim. "I want the flesh raiders to pay for what they've done… but I can't let that make the rest of the village suffer." He then left the compound with his head bowed. Ranna left the room as well, to retrieve Scout Chief Moorint's latest report.

"Good job defusing that situation, Royssim," Master Orgus praised. "It may take him some time to grieve, but at least he isn't going to die chasing vengeance. People often wonder why the Jedi are forbidden to marry or have families. They don't see how emotional attachments will always lead to someone suffering. Remember Royssim that passions and emotions will destroy a person, and a Jedi that is destroyed by his emotions becomes something terrible."

"Yes, Master," Royssim said; having doubts about parts of Master Orgus' lecture.

"I can sense that you don't quite believe me," Master Orgus told him. "I don't blame you, Royssim. It can take years for some Jedi to truly understand and accept this lesson. As you've probably noticed; Master Kaedan still has trouble keeping his own emotions in check at times. None of us are perfect."

[T7 = salutes Master Orgus / T7 reconnaissance report = ready] T7-01 beeped and whistled.

"Does this droid really work for the Jedi, Master?" Royssim asked.

"Yes. Teeseven's one of our long-range probes. He's the only one that's come back, out of twenty. I was beginning to give up hope that any of them would return."

[T7 = has holorecording of enemies of Jedi / T7 = play for Master Orgus]

"I'm going to go watch this recording Royssim. You stay here in case Ranna, the Matriarch, or the Scout Chief return."

Ranna reentered the room with a datapad. "I have the latest reports on flesh raider activity. They seem to be gathering near a shrine in The Ruins of Kaleth, just south of your Temple."

"Kaleth was once a city of powerful force users," Master Orgus told them. "There are secrets there that the Jedi still don't understand."

"Then they must be searching for something, Master," Royssim said.

"We have to make sure that they don't find it. Go to Kaleth and drive back the flesh raiders. I have to take Teeseven back to the Council," Master Orgus told Royssim. "I know the voice of the hooded figure, in the recording. The situation is even worse than I thought. Do whatever you have to do to drive back the flesh raiders, I'll send you reinforcements as soon as possible."

"Shouldn't I know more, Master?" Royssim asked.

"No time. Just know that Kaleth is a very dangerous area; and that I don't want you to engage the hooded figure, if you see him. Now get going."

Royssim and the manka cat left the Matriarch's compound. "Should we walk, or do you feel like riding in a hovercar?" _'I must be going crazy, I'm asking for a wild animal's opinion.'_ Royssim took out his map of the region. "Okay, Kaleth's only a few miles to the South West. If we walk and don't run in to any trouble, we should be there in about an hour."

Royssim and the manka cat arrived just outside of the ruins; there were a few Knights and Masters standing guard, most likely to prevent anyone from going to Kaleth alone. "He approached one of the Masters, hoping he could convince him to let him through. "Excuse me Master, but Master Orgus sent me here to take care of some urgent business while he reports to the Coucil."

"Yes, we know. He contacted us before you arrived; however, there's a problem. We were given very strict instructions, not to let anyone enter alone," the Jedi Master told Royssim.

"I won't be going alone though," Royssim said gesturing to the manka cat.

The Jedi Master paused, "I am sorry Padawan, but you have to have another Padawan with you while you are in the ruins. It is simply too dangerous."

Royssim pulled his holo-communicator to call Arvotes. "What is it Royssim, you need some help?"

"I guess you could say that. I need to get to Kaleth to keep the flesh-raiders from getting some artifact, but the guards won't let me through without another Padawan."

"Okay, let me tell Master Yuon's friend Qyzen that I'm going back to Kaleth before I meet him in the mountains. You're going to have to join me on my next few trials," Arvotes told him.

"All I need is to get in to Kaleth, but okay it's only fair that I help you out too," said Royssim.

"If I go with you to Kaleth, I'd have to leave with you. Anyway, I've got something you'd be interested in. My trial in Kaleth was to retrieve the First Blade, it's the weapon that inspired the lightsaber. The hilt is all that's left of it now, but it has some data engrave on it. Master Yuon and I are using it to search for the Fount of Rajivari," Arvotes told Royssim.

"Can you tell me how you got to Kaleth on your own," asked Royssim.

"I didn't, I went with some Padawan that was being sent to scan the memory cores of any of the deactivated droids so that we can find out why all of the active droids are attacking people on sight. I'll see you in a little while."

 **AN 2: Once again, I'm sorry about the long wait. I've just had some stuff going on that took my mind off of posting the chapter. I hope you liked it.**


End file.
